A. Introduction to Problem Addressed
The use of both wheelchair feet and wheelchair leg supports is known in the prior art. Wheelchair leg supports heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless other objectives and requirements. Millions of wheel chairs, new and old, have simple foot rests (foot plates or pedals) that are attached so that the tubes of the chair can be removed. They are all inherently designed so that the tubes connected to the foot rest mechanisms may be removed; so that the whole mechanism can swing away; and, so that there is left a defined space or gap between each side. However, the defined space between the left and right plates or pedals can be problematic for many if not most users who need and desire a full rest plate across the full expanse of the wheel chair plates and leave no unsupported space. The PROBLEM ADDRESSED IS the elimination of this space or gap.
B. Prior Art
It is believed that this product is unique in its design and technologies. However, in prior art, disclosures have been made for wheelchair supports with many of the disclosures including complex devices. Prior art begins with U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,327 issued in 1968 to Rybcznski for a foot restraining means. What is shown is an attachable device that is connected to footplates/foot pedals with tools and then restrains the feet. Movement is restricted unlike the new Wright device and the restrain requires tools to put into place and attach to the wheelchair. Another U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,285 issued in 1975 to Hartman for a combined wheelchair tray and footrest. The combination device teaches a combined wheelchair, tray and foot rest assembly having a mechanism for permitting the tray and footrest to be moved horizontally and preventing the accidental removal from the wheelchair. Further, the mechanism permits the tray to be swung from a position of use to a stored position adjacent the side of the wheelchair. The device must be assembled with the wheelchair with tools, creates pinch points and needlessly replaces the already provided footplates. This is more costly and less safe than the Wright device shown here.
A further prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,984 issued in 1975 to Sickels was for a leg-supporting-and-retaining device attachable to an elevatable legrest of a wheelchair. Taught here is a device that attaches to an elevatable legrest of a wheel chair for supporting and retaining the leg of an individual sitting in the wheel chair upon the legrest. The device is composed of a single sheet of resilient material configured at one end into a clamp for detachably clamping the device to the elevatable legrest and configured at the other end into a support for releasably supporting and retaining the leg upon the legrest when the legrest is at any desired elevation. The device restrains the leg to prevent movement. Wright permits full movement of legs and feet and supports the bottom of the feet for the comfort of the patient/user. Next, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,742 issued in 1980 to Thomas was for a multi-position, retractable legrest as part of a wheelchair. Another leg device shown here demonstrates a full wheelchair which includes an improved, retractable multi-position leg rest apparatus. The leg rest is attached to the frame of the footrest of the wheelchair in a conventional manner. The leg rest cushion is carried on a frame which slidably engages the footrest frame. A rotatable U-shaped transverse member comprises part of the leg rest frame and is adapted to selectively engage a hook on the underside of the leg rest cushion to lock the rear end of the cushion in an elevated position. The rear of the leg rest cushion can be lowered by disengaging the tubular member from the hook. The device is more complex and costly than the simple Wright device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,265 was issued in Hanik to 1981 for a patient chair slipper. Demonstrated here is an open-ended slipper suitable for attachment to the footplate of a patient chair, comprising a generally rectangular base strip adapted for placement upon a footplate and straps means for creating openings for receiving a user's foot. Other means shown are for attaching the device from its lower surface to the footplate. The device merely restrains foot movement and does not fill the gap between the footplates/foot pedals like that of the Wright invention. In still another U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,048 issued in 1984 to Meyer was for a leg support for a wheelchair. Here Meyer taught a leg support for a wheelchair, comprising a vertical supporting tube, which is detachably mountable on said wheelchair, the upper end of said supporting tube having a horizontal arm mounted thereon, which arm extends in the direction of travel and on which arm a leg support carrier, supporting a foot-plate and a calf-plate, is pivotably mounted by means of its upper end, in which the leg support carrier is formed by an external telescopic tube and an internal telescopic tube inserted into the external telescopic tube, both tubes being pivotably mounted on the arm about their own respective swivel axles. This is a complex leg support which is more expensive to attach with tools and a person of some technical skills.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,238 was issued in 1986 to Wolpert, Jr. for a leg-rests for a modified wheelchair. The Wolpert concept was an improved wheel chair foot/leg rest that discloses a device that can be retro-fitted onto existing wheel chair. A series of parallel tubes attach under the wheel chair seat, and house sliding tubes that carry a rotating foot/leg rest. This requires tools and is a bulky add to the chair. When not in use it requires some sizeable storage areas. In U.S. Pat. No. Des 305,521 was issued in 1990 to Wiatrak, et al for a wheelchair foot board. The art shown there was a single side footplate. Nothing is taught that fills the gap between the footplates. In another U.S. Pat. No. Des 315,539 issued in 1991 to Okamoto for a footplate assembly for a wheelchair. In this device is shown a strap that fits the side of a footplate. Nothing is taught that fills the gap between the footplates.
Prior art in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 340,594 that was issued in 1993 to Lambert was for a leg supports for wheelchair occupants. Here is shown a separate foot stand or rest device that is paced separate from the wheelchair with the wheelchair to ostensibly support feet. Unlike Wright it does not couple to the wheelchair and “move” when the chair is moved. It also is in a fixed configuration and is not universal to all wheelchair spacing and configurations of the footplates. In another U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,318 issued in 1998 to Knight was for a wheelchair support accessory. This showed a wheelchair support accessory for a person confined to a wheelchair which includes a support board having a generally rectangular configuration. The support board has a long top edge, a long bottom edge and short opposed side edges. The device is made of several pieces and has fitted recesses that may not be configured for universal usage. It is complex and made of more expensive materials than the Wright invention.
Recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,658 was issued in 2000 to Law for a wheelchair footplate cover and stabilizer. Shown was a cover and stabilizer made of a thin ridged material that slips over wheelchair footplates. The preferred material is metal and has several breaks and angles. The patient and staff are exposed to sharp corners when fitting the device over the footrests. The device requires expensive process tooling to the break presses or the molding equipment and tools. The Wright device has no sharp corners and may be made of various materials including recycled materials. The Wright design discloses, teaches and suggests several features not shown in the Law patent. Finally in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,073 that was issued in 2004 to Escobedo was for an adjustable footrest. Taught here was an adjustable foot rest for being used with a wheelchair to allow the foot of the user to positioned at a comfortable angle. The adjustable foot rest includes an adjustment assembly being designed for being coupled to hanger bracket of the wheel chair. A rest member is pivotally coupled to the adjustment assembly on the wheelchair. The rest member is designed for supporting the foot of the user when the user is sitting in the wheelchair and may be positioned at any angle. The device is more complex and requires tools to attach to the wheelchair, unlike the unique Wright device that assembles without tools and simply slips onto the wheelchair footplates.
While these devices described above in many respects fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose the new Wright wheelchair foot support accessory. None of them solve the problem of the unsupported space between the foot plates. None of the prior art anticipates the Wright invention nor show configurations or concepts that would make the Wright device obvious to one of ordinary skill in the area and art of wheelchair structures. The inventive Wright device includes a support board having a generally rectangular configuration that fits over the existing foot supports. The recess of the device is configured to engage an existing leg rest frame of a wheelchair.
In many respects, the wheelchair support accessory according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing added comfort to a person confined to a wheelchair. At the same time, a caretaker of the user finds placement of the device easy. However, as far as is known, there is no other special wheelchair device for fully supporting the feet of the user at the present time which fully provide these improvements and functional characteristics as the present device. It is believed that this device is made with fewer parts and with improved configurations and physical features to provide more functionality when compared to other currently utilized devices or methods to provide foot supports for wheelchairs. The particular combinations of materials and features are unique and novel. As stated above, the objectives and solutions of the Wright device are not anticipated by prior art.